The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The consumer solar energy market currently emphasizes photovoltaic cells as a primary means to achieve residential, institutional, and small business solar electricity. Presently, photovoltaic cells are costly for power output and perceived longevity.
The energy industry typically burns fossil fuels to boil water to make steam to power electrical generators. In fact, greater than 80% of the world electricity production is steam generated. Steam turbines are considered most effective for greater than 1 megawatt (mW) of electrical generation, which corresponds to approximately 300 average U.S. households. Generally, a reciprocating steam engine is considered more efficient for applications that require less than 1 mW of electrical generation.
Traditionally, steam engines have been expensive or have required excessive maintenance due to custom, small-scale manufacturing, large numbers of moving parts, and/or the need to separate working and lubrication fluids that are merged during operation. Increasingly, a steam engine that has low cost and low maintenance requirements is becoming essential to future consumer and light industry solar markets, as well as other markets that may benefit from improved steam engines.